Elevator



A. M. BEST June l, 1954 ELEVATOR Filed March 31, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 @www A. M. BEST ELEVATOR June l, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3l, 1953 A. M. BEST June l, 1954 ELEVATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 :med March 31, 1955 Patented June l, 1954 2,679,921 OFFICE ELEVATOR Albert M. Best, New Holl Sperry Corporation,

poration of Delaware and, Pa., assignor to The New Holland, Pa., a cor- Application March 31, 1953, Serial No. 345,833

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to elevators of the type generally exemplified in the United States Patent to Hancock No. 1,746,649 granted February 11, 1930.

In such elevators it has been customary to utilize a suitable lateral conveyor such as an auger to deliver the conveyed material to an endless elevating conveyor having a series of relatively spaced conveyor flights or buckets thereon to receive the material and carry it upwardly to the delivery end of said elevator conveyor. In conveyors of this type difficulty has been encountered in transferring the material from the lateral conveyor to the elevator conveyor due to the tendency of the material to jam up at the transfer joint. Such jamming up has not only decreased the efficiency of the elevator but has frequently resulted in damaging the flights of the elevator conveyor.

It is, accordingly, a primary object of the present invention to resolve this dilculty by providing a rotary feed element for receiving the material from the lateral conveyor and eiciently delivering it without jamming to the elevator conveyor, the rotary element having feed paddles which rotate therewith in timed relation to the auger flights so that their adjoining paths of movement are in non-registering relation and the paddles will accordingly tend to deliver the material between the respective conveyor flights without damage to such flights. To this end the rotary feed element is operatively connected to the conveyor for movement in timed coordinated relation therewith.

It is further an important object of the invention to provide a disengageable coupling in the drive mechanism for the rotary feed element, the coupling being operable to engage and cause rotation of the feed element only in the relatively coordinated positions of said feed element and the vertical or elevator conveyor.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l represents a view in elevation and partly in section along the line I-l of Figure 3, a portion of the elevator mechanism being broken away;

Figure 2, a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, portions of the structure being broken away;

Figure 3, a plan section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, portions being broken away; and,

Figure fl, a view on the line l-Q of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the details of one of the clutch members.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, the reference characters 2 therein respectively designate relatively spaced horizontal channel irons which define a supporting base for an elevator casing or housing 3 within which operates a usual endless conveyor 4 having relatively uniformly spaced conveyor flights 5 carried thereon. The conveyor 4 which in the present instance is in the form of a usual sprocket chain is guided around sprockets t and l respectively supported for rotation at the upper and lower ends of the housing 3. As is best shown in Figure 3, the shaft 8 which supports the lower sprocket l is journalled across the housing 3 and has a pulley e keyed thereon exteriorly of housing t. This pulley 9 is driven in conventional manner by a belt Ill from a conventional electric motor i l supported on the base members 2-2. A generally U-shaped partition I2 extending over the shaft i3 of the upper sprockets with its legs depending vertically on opposite sides of the shafts 3 and i3 divides the housing 3 interiorily into an elevating leg or passage Ill and a return passage I5 through which the runs of the conveyor i move in opposite directions in well known manner, The shaft I3 above mentioned is rotatably journalled across the upper part of housing 3 to support the sprocket S.

The motor II rotates the shaft 8 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure l so that material fed into the lower end or boot IS of the elevator is carried by the conveyor flights 5 upwardly through the elevator passage I4 and discharged over the upper end of the conveyor through a discharge spout I'I.

A generally cylindrical feeder housing I8 communicates laterally with the interior of the boot i6 through an opening or port I9 communicating preferably with the return passage I 5 in radially spaced relation to the sprocket wheel 'I or other rotary element around which is guided the lower end of the elevator conveyor 4. Rotatably supported through one axial end of the feed housing IB in a bearing 2l! is a horizontal shaft 2l parallel to the shaft 8. Fixed on this shaft 2l within the feed housing I8 is a rotary feed ele ment including a plurality of uniformly circumferentially spaced feed paddles 22, each projecting in a generally radial direction from their hub portion 23 which is iixed on the shaft 2| as shown in Figure 2.

Preferably the feed paddles are braced by ns 22 on their rear faces which stifen them and prevent rearward deflection thereof. Also, if desired, these paddles may be provided with reinforcing beadings 22a along their material receiving edges.

Material is fed axially into the feed housing by a suitable lateral conveyor which will preferably comprise a usual feed auger 24 rotatably disposed in a feed trough 25 the delivery end of which communicates with the feeder housing I3 through an opening 26 as illustrated in Figure 2. The lateral conveyor 2e is in axial alignment with the rotary feed element 22 and preferably the hub 23 of the feed element is axially extended through the trough 25 to function as a support and drive shaft for the auger 24, whereby both the auger and the feed element may have a common aeraai 3 drive means. It will be understood that theouter or remote end of the'shat 23 will'be rotatably supported in accordance with usual practice.

In accordance with my invention the rotary feed element 22 is driven in coordinated relation f* i flights@ 5 of fe'ourse'lmakes this -av problem and yet such opposite mei/lement -is`V 'required f by the Very natureof the organization inwhich fthe respective 'parts are employed.

3y looordinit'ing the movementsof the feed paddles 22 and the elevator conveyor Il in accordance with Vvthe invention, `the arrangement is such'flthat each feed paddle 22 sweeps'across the bottom ida ofalhusing-'l to deliver Yits Charge of Vmateria-1 justlrearwardly-of one ofthe conveyor "iiightsl 5,' and then Twill have been rotated upwardly through'approiiirnatelyf9i)d vto have completed its feedingph'asewell before the next conveyorfl-ight 5 of the return run moves downwardly?4 abreast thereof. y''his-'oan Vprobably be best understood by reference to Figure 1 wherein the feed paddle 22"'mo`stl closelyadjacentI the conveyor 4 has just completedfeeding'material' behind` the lowermost 'conveyor Flightl 5 and, having been rotated upwardly *throughl approximately 90; is 'commeneing'its' movement away from the conveyor'- e Vas ithenexe'succeeding `conveyor night moves downwardly to a position abreast thereof. Y

Such a coordinated "relatio'nibetween the rotary 'feedelernent andtheelevator conveyorll may be established by`a conventional'drive chain El' operatively 'disposed aboutjsprockets' 28 and 29`res`pectiv'elyon the 'shafts 3 and 2i. "Prefei-abiythe' sprocket' 2e has 'a multiple or the numberof-teeth' of 'sr'iroc'letel to'end thatthe feed element22 may VAbe"rotated to 'att-ain la peripheral' speed substantially greater than the movement" of the conveyor' fwhereby the' conveyor flights 5 may be spaced relatively close together and 'the'feed paddles 22 will nevertheless function to inject a charge of materia-libetweeneach adjacent pair of said conveyor flights.

Thesproolret 28 is fixed on its shaftln usual manner, however, in 4the preferred embodiment of the invention the sprocket' 29 "constitutes a portion ofV a"constantly rotating clut'oh'me'nih'er having dogs 3@ thereon as shownin Figures 3 and 4 for operative interengagemnt ormeshing with the dogs of a clutch `member 3! which is splined or -slidably keyed on -the shafti'Zi for movement into and out of operative engagement with' clutch member 38. `Preferably the interengaging dogsrof the respective clutch members are formedrwithsloping or inclined lengaging surfaces someta respectively whereby the-elements and'3l` may function as aslip clutch or coupling to automatic-ally disconnect the'drive to the rotary `feed lele1n`ent22land also the lateral conveyorauger inthe eventof a choking` 01 clogging of Ymaterialhandled-by these elements. in order that the coupling.thusformedmay-func- 'tion as a slip clutch, a spring 32is disposedon the shaft 2i under compression betweenftheclutch member 3i and a suitablel stop'which-may-be dened b'y the'fwashers 3? abutting against a "cross-'pin 34"disposed diametrically through the outer end of the shaft 2l. It will be seen that "such spring 32 will normally urge the clutch -fm'embers 33 and Si into operative engagement but will yield when axial pressure thereon caused bythe' 'cammingaction between the interengagf inginclined faces `3 lic-Sla on the clutch reaches a suilicient "magnitude under overloading of the --elements 22-'or`24- The dogs on the constantly rotating clutch member vGill and on the driven member Si are arranged in the preferred embodiment to be equal 'ein number totherespeotive paddlesl 22"and to be "eduallyangularly spacediaround the axis of the shaftZl vin-tl'iesame manner as the blades'22,

so that these members may interengage and establish-a driving Aconnection for the eed'paddles *Zfin any vof their 'several operative coordinated positions. Howevenit is only necessary of course that `the drivebeoperable'to engage in but one coordinated-position. Theessential feature is thatfthe positionor positions of engagement be only"those in which the positions of the feed paddles v22 are properly coordinated with the relative positionsof the 'conveyor flights" 5 where- 'by' the paddles' will' always feed material between the M'oonveyorsor conveyor flights eas aforementloned.

`In order tol permit convenient manual control of "the-auger l'and thefeed paddles 22, a collar 35 rotatably journalled in an annular groove around the clutch member 3 l; is trunnioned as at '36 tof-the `forked or bifurcated lowerend of a shifting'leverl whichmaybe manually controlledin conventionalmanner to engage or disengage the' clutcli'meinbe'rs and 3l as desired.

The 'lever 3l is fulcrumedY at 38' on a bracket 39 `on the feeder housing I8.

In the operation ofthe invention, as for instance in deliveringiensilagelinto a silo, the ensilagemay bedeliv'ered into the trough 25 from a usual'pfarm'wagon ono'ther'vehicle, preferably `being "delivered in'to the'trough 25 by suitable unloadingmeohani'sin in a substantially constant flow. Such ensilage will be deliveredby the auger 24 in a substantially steady flow to the paddles '22. Due to' their coordinated relationship with the conveyor ilightsli the paddles 22 will feed theen'sila'ge tangentially across the bottom Nia of the 'feeder housing i8 and through the Opening` i9 into Ythe bootV it on the return side ofthe 'elevatorconveyor Il. `It will be seen uthat the conveyor flights 5V onV this-side o the conveyor 4f aremovingdownwardly while the relatively adiacent feedpaddles 22 are rotating upwardly, sothat unlessW the positions and movements of these 'respective feed paddles-22 and conveyor nightsE-'a're properly coordinated; the feed 'pad- .clles 22 vcould tend to force'the ensilageupward- "ly 'against the 'downwardly moving conveyor nights 5 with-ensuing-damage to the machine. 'Howev'ei;with 'such coordinated arrangement as heretofore described, each paddle-22 will vfeed material between adjoining pairs of conveyor nights andno appreciable amount of material will ever'be' delivered directly against a descendingonve'yor flight 5.

Themnia'terial'thus delivered into the boot i5 at the lwer end of*y theconveyor -housingf is carriedupwardlyby the respective -ilights- 5 and overthe'top' of the -U-shapednpartition I2 thence is discharged into the -silothrough the discharge spout l 'l-before'eacrrconveyor flight 5 vcommences its returnmovement-downwardly.

In the event material becomes jammed in the auger 24 or the feed paddles 22 the clutch members 30 and 3| may be forced axially apart against the spring 32 by the camming action of the inclined clutch or dog faces 30a-31a of these members to disengage or disconnect the drive to the elements 22 and 24 and thereby avoid damage thereto. When the drive is resumed it will be seen that the positions of the dog elements on these respective clutch members are such as to reengage only in positions wherein the locations and movements of the paddles 22 and the conveyor nights 5 are properly coordinated.

Similarly, where it is desired to discontinue the delivery of the material to the conveyor 4 this may be readily accomplished manually by actuation of the control lever 3l in usual manner. When the clutch members are manually reengaged by upward movement of the clutch lever 31 they will similarly reengage only in positions which insure the proper coordination between the feed paddles 22 and the conveyor nights 15.

In this application I have shown and described only the preferred embodiment of my invention simply by way of illustrating the preferred mode of carrying out my invention as by law required. I recognize however, that my invention may be modined in various ways and accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are vto be construed as merely exemplary in character.

I claim:

1. In an elevator a boot, a member rotatable therein, an endless conveyor having uniformly spaced nights operatively disposed around said member, a feeder housing communicating laterally with said boot on one radial side of said member, a feed element mounted in said feeder housing for rotation about an axis parallel to the rotational axis of said member, said element including a plurality of uniformly spaced feed paddles, an auger conveyor delivering material into said feed housing to be fed by said feed element to said conveyor, a common shaft rotatably supporting said feed element and said auger conveyor, means driving said endless conveyor and said feed element in coordinated relation with their respective adjoining flights and paddles moving alternately in opposite directions past the feed opening to cause the feed paddles to deliver their respective charges of material between the conveyor nights, disengageable clutch mechanism interposed between said drive means and the feed wheel, said mechanism being engageable only in one of the properly coordinated positions of said feed wheel and said endless conveyor.

2. In an elevator, a boot, a member rotatable therein, an endless conveyorl having uniformly spaced nights operatively disposed around said member, a feeder housing communicating laterally with said boot on one radial side of said member, a feed element mounted in said feeder housing for rotation about an axis parallel to the rotational axis of said member, said element including a plurality of uniformly spaced feed paddles, an auger conveyor delivering material into said feed housing to be fed by said feed element to said conveyor, means driving said end- Y less conveyor and said feed element in coordinated relation with their respective adjoining nights and paddles moving alternately in opposite directions past the feed opening, and disengageable clutch mechanism interposed between said drive means and the feed element, said mechanism ,being engageable only in one c! the properly coordinated positions of said feed element and said endless conveyor.

3. In an elevator, a boot having a laterally directed infeed opening, a member rotatable therein, an endless conveyor having uniformly spaced nights operatively disposed around said member, a feed element, means rotatably supporting same adjacent said conveyor for rotation about an axis parallel to the rotational axis of said member, said element including a plurality of uniformly spaced feed paddles, conveyor means delivering material tosaid feed element, means driving said endless conveyor and said feed element in coordinated relation with their respective adjoining nights and paddles moving alternately in opposite directions past the feed opening, and disengageable clutch mechanism interposed between said drivemeans and the feed element, said mechanism being engageable only in one of the properly coordinated positions of said feed element and said endless conveyor.

4. In an elevator, the combination of an endless conveyor and means operatively supporting same, said conveyor including a plurality of relatively spaced conveyor nights, a feed wheel mounted for rotation adjacent said conveyor, said wheel including a plurality of circumferentially spaced substantially radial feed paddles, means connecting said conveyor and said feed wheel for operative movement in coordinated relation with their respective adjoining nights and paddles moving alternately in opposite directions past a given point, and disengageable means in said connection operative to establish said connection only in the relatively coordinated positions of said feed Wheel and said conveyor.

5. In an elevator, the combination of an endless conveyor including a plurality of relatively spaced conveyor nights, a rotary feed element mounted adjacent said conveyor with one run of said conveyor disposed in substantially tanv gential relationship to said element, said element including a plurality of circumferentially uniformly spaced radial feed paddles, means driving said endless conveyor and said feed element in coordinated relation with their respective nights and paddles moving alternately in opposide directions past a given point, and disengageable means in said connection operative to establish said connection only in the relatively coordinated positions of said feed wheel and said conveyor. 'Y

6. The combination of claim 5 in which the disengageable means comprises a slip clutch.

7. The combination of claim 5 in which the disengageable means comprises a slip clutch including normally intermeshing driving and driven members arranged to mesh only in the relatively coordinated positions of the feed 'wheel and conveyor.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 105,632 Bliss July 26, 1870 447,764 Daniel Mar. 10, 1891 675,815 Clarke June 4, 1901 2,302,460 Osgood Nov. 17, 1942 2,608,283 Oehler Aug. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22.866 Great Britain Sept. 30, 1899 s! 1898 

